Who should we teach abstracting to?: Experiences in Hungary with universal inferences

Abstract

ing continues to be an important activity even in the era of computers (Pinto Molina, 1992). As Max Waters (1982) says ~<theability to prepare useful abstracts from voluminous data does not transfer natui-ally from existing language instruetion». A slightly different aspect of this is expressed by Brigitte Endres-Niggemeyer (1995), who points out that public codified knowledge about abstracting is meager. Tbis means that abstracting has to be thoroughly taught. The ideas below have been born mainly analyzing the situation in Hungary but the consequences are drawn with the intention to be of universal scope. WHERE IS AI3STRACTING TAUGHT? The importance of abstracting is recognized in documentation education, where abstracts’ types and function are discussed. In this context in Hungary abstracting itself is taught mostly together with indexing. This education unfortunately often Iacks of a more practical approach and the writing process does not get enough attention. There is almost no regular education beyond basic education in library schools and the possibilities seem to be behind those in Spain, not speaking about Anglo-Saxon education (Pinto Molina, 1992). In addition to this, there are no textbooks of indexing aud abstracting comparable to those written for English-speaking librarians as that of Donald and Ana Cleveland oc of F.Wilfrid Lancaster, or of Jennifer Rowley. An extensive monograph dealing exclusively with abstracting, as Maria Pinto Molina’s book would be even more needed. We fiud abstracting included in a number of Technical Writing (TW) textbooks. TW is a class especially often taught in American higher education. It can be defined «as writing about a techuical subject, intended to convey specific information to specific audience for specific purpose.» (Markel, 1988). It is important to Revista General de Informacion y Documentacion, Vol. 7, nY 2. Servicio de Publicaciones Universidad Complutense. Madrid, 1997